The NEWSCASTER The Official Publication of the Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club http://www.mts.net/~warc February, 2009 IRLP # 1066 VE4BB TBA And now for a word from the President Field Trip By Geoff, VE4BAW ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER Date: February 9th, 2009 February … the days are a little longer, people are Time: 7:30 p.m.ENGINEERING vanishing to southern climes for a deserved respite from the Place: DakotaUniversity Collegiate of Manitoba climate, the sun is still bald and awaiting sunspots to actually Engineering661 Dakota and StreetInformation Technology show up and excite the ionosphere. Complex, EITC February … just three months from June and June is the November 10, 2008 7:30 PM time for elections. OK, why bring that up now you may ask? We need to have a full slate of candidates for the club executive. This year we will lose a large percentage of the executive ... President cannot run, the Vice President may be Other Important Dates: leaving the province for further education, the Secretary has WARC: Monthly Meeting dates - Mar. 9, Apr. 20 decided to lay down her pen, the Treasurer has said that she (3rd Monday), May 11, June 8. has made her contribution. We need fresh energetic blood. Earlier this year a motion was presented to abolish the club .. Flea Market: April 19th, 2009 a call for attention. A club does not run itself .. people need to engage. WSC: 2nd Thurs. of month - Breakfast Garden City Inn In addition to the executive we need to maintain the momentum of the educational campaign that we have ARES: Feb. 17 new City of Winnipeg 311 Call centre started. Albert VA4AS and Dave VE4DAR have done a great job of putting the framework on the educational Other: MRS AGM - April 14th program to “grow” more hams. Albert is leaving - who will MARCC meeting April 19th follow him to work on the “education file”? Please think about this .. can you find time to help? Will you run for office? WARC: Executive for 2008- 2009 President Geoff Bawden ve4baw at rac.ca Vice-Pres Albert Sousa albert.sousa at shaw.ca Treasurer Sue Collings collings at mts.net Secretary Ruthie Maman rmaman at mts.net Membership Mark Blumm ve4mab at rac.ca Program Vacant Director at Large Robert Iwacha ve4rai at mts.net Past President John Pura ve4qv at rac.ca Our Vision To increase public awareness and respect for Amateur radio; to provide education and support in all aspects of the hobby to our members in a social atmosphere. The Newscaster - Page 2 Freq Prov/ UTC Minutes for January 12th, 2009 State Submitted by Mark, VE4MAB 7.055 MB Trans Prov 17:00 local 3.747 MB Evening Phone 19:00 local Introductions - 3.937 ND North Dakota 00:30 Minutes - SK Public December 2008 Minutes accepted by Dick, VE4HK, 3.735 SK 01:00 Service 2nd by Ed VE4OAK, carried. 3.750 NWON NW Ontario 01:15 AB Public Field Day Report - 3.700 AB 01:30 Service Rolf, VE4VZ, spoke on field day. Field day will not be MB, SK, at Camp Amisk as they are worried about liability so the city 3.660 Prairie Traffic 01:30 AB won’t let us use the side and said there is no overnight 7.055 MB Trans Prov 08:00 local camping permitted at La Barrierre Park. Jeff, VE4MBQ, Mb Morning asked if there was another choice within the city and David, 3.743 MB 14:30 WX VE4DAR, asked about the YMCA Camp Manitou. More 14.140 CA Trans-Canada 18:00 inquiries will be made. 7.055 Aurora 23:00 3.860 MN Minnesota 23:00 Flea Market 02:00 Dick, VE4HK, spoke on the coming Flea Market -The 145.450 WW MB IRLP Wednesday date is April 19, 2009, at the Heritage Victoria Community 147.390 + MB Morning 09:00 Local Centre. 147.390 + MB MRS Thursday 21:00 Local DX- no report - 147.390 + MB MRS Sunday 21:00 Local Bill 5 Derek Hay, VE4HAY, spoke on Bill 5 - Nothing has changed since WARC last met and there have been no meetings regarding Bill 5 which is still an outstanding bill and the Manitoba Legislature is not in session. Derek plans to meet with the province to speak to the bill and both WARC and ARES have sent letters expressing their concerns. RAC has not yet sent in their letter. Geoff, VE4BAW said the house is expected to be sitting in March Amateur Radio Service Centre Industry Canada so we need to get our letters in to our MPs. Jeff, VE4MBQ, P.O. Box 9654, Postal Station T has sent a letter regarding all the good Hams have done for Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 6K9 the city and province over the years. Telephone: (613) 780-3333 Toll free: (888) 780-3333 RAC - Fax: (613) 998-5919 Derek also advised that Devon Racicot, VE5DWR, is E-mail: [email protected] the new Midwest Director. Derek has free TCA magazines http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/h for those who are not RAC members. _sf01709e.html Antenna Structures - IRLP Node 1066 Rolf, VE4VZ, asked Derek about the issue regarding 145.450 MHz -600 KHz antenna structures. Derek advised there is a meeting (VE4WRS) tomorrow with the City of Winnipeg and a draft proposal Comments or if you just want to reach us : has been sent. Rolf asked if Industry Canada has had any Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club comments and Derek advised that IC won’t get involved. Rick, VE4RA, said he has a plan on file with the City Of C/O VE4WSC Winnipeg that anyone can use as a reference. Derek said the 598 St. Mary’s Road city wants assurance that structures will be safe at 13 to 15 Winnipeg, MB R2M 3L5 meters and we are asking this height limit to be for the support structure, not the antenna. The Newscaster - Page 3 Risk, VE4RA, said that 6 years ago there were no limits with readings of over S9. The problem started 2 years ago on towers just that the base had to be sufficient to support when CFRW replaces their tower. Rolf also comments not the tower. to take blame for interference on Shaw cable channels. If a Derek advises that Industry Canada is only concerned neighbour has a problem it is with Shaw, not the operator. with the technical reasons we need a tower and that Kumara, VE4WKP, spoke to the club regarding a aesthetics is not a valid reason. Rolf asked about radiation security issue he had when using on-line banking and and Derek said he told the city we need higher for less advised everyone to be very cautious when accessing their radiation at ground level. bank accounts on-line. Financial Report - Ajournment Sue, VE4SYM, advised our December income was $ 96 Geoff, VE4BAW, adjourned the meeting. from memberships and 50/50 draw. Expenses were $ 478.82 for Christmas gifts and our bank balance is $ 8,704.37 Radio Course being offered Education Program - Albert, VA4AS, spoke on the present education The Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club (WARC) program that will be listed in the Spring Leisure Guide for will be conducting a classes April 7 to June 27 on Tuesdays and alternating Thursdays. The cost is $ 149 per student and teachers are Basic Amateur Radio Operator Course being organized by David, VE4DAR. Red River College, Princess Street Geoff, VE4BAW, suggested we do what we can to get April 7 - June 25, 2009. it advertised in the community newspapers as well. Ed, Chief Instructor - Albert Sousa, VE4AS. VE4OAK, asked that an outline be sent to the WSC and Dick, VE4HK, suggested advertising in the Manitoban, the The course will be held at the Princess Street U of M paper. (downtown) campus of Red River College, Tuesday and alternate Thursday evenings, 1800 - Winnipeg ARES - 2100 hours. Jeff, VE4MBQ spoke on Winnipeg ARES. The next Cost of the course is $150.00, General Meeting is Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 1900 hours which includes the textbooks published by Radio at the Sir Wm Stephenson Library. Can West Park Amateurs of Canada (RAC). paramedics, who at the paramedics the coarse during the Manitoba Marathon, will be doing the presentation. The course is in RRC's catalogue as "PDEV-1018 ARES is recruiting volunteer operators for Klondike Amateur Radio Operator Introduction". Further Derby 7, 8 March at Camp Amisk. Event runs approx. information is available by telephone at 694-1789 0800-1600 hours each day. Operators can volunteer for or at this website: both days or just one day. If interested please contact Jeff. http://me.rrc.mb.ca/Catalogue/Course.aspx?R Manitoba Repeater Society - egionCode=WPG&ProgCode=PERPP-NA&Cour Dick, VE4HK spoke for the Manitoba Repeater Society seCode=PDEV-1018 reminding everyone that dues are now due. He has forms and will gladly take everyone’s money. All of the instructors are licensed amateur radio operators. Successful students should be qualified Good and Welfare - in time for Field Day! Rolf, VE4VZ, advises the 20 meter band is wide open with contacts being made with Japan and the northwest in Registration will be open in early February mid afternoon hours. Rolf also spoke of an interference and will be posted in the Continuing Education issue with CFRW broadcasting a 3rd harmonic on 38.6 MHz Spring 2009 catalog as well as online. What have you done to "promote amateur radio this week" Please tell your Friends That line we credit to an old News stalwart, Peter who are interested in Radio Parker with using in his old VK1 and VK3 casts many years ago and it still stands true -WIA The Newscaster - Page 4 50/50 draw was won by Jim, VE4MT, won $ 17.00 log-visualisation tool for analyzing contest performance, News from the Net LogView is also useful in defining gaps in your antenna coverage, by comparing the positions of entrants to the contest against those entrants actually contacted.